Beautiful Assassin
by Myuka
Summary: A girl wearing a black coat goes around killing people for an employer. She quits and soon gets hunted down. Vash and Knives help Her out and soonfind themselves trying to figure out who she is and what she is.
1. Default Chapter

Music before Death?  
  
I do not own Trigun only my character Nightingale. In this Wolfwood or Legato are not dead. Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention this but Knives turns good.....sort of. Well R&R Please.  
  
Vash stood there on guard outside Mr. Dwell's house. It was dark and cold outside. He had recently got hired to protect some rich guy who owned a Large Warehouse that contained nothing but weapons of destruction. The only reason he took this job was because the money that he would soon get, if this man lived long enough to see the morning light. Some sort of assassin went around everywhere killing very rich businessmen. No one knew whom the assassin was, they weren't even sure if it was a male or female. The only thing they did know was right before the men were killed, a violin could be heard and someone singing a sad tune echoed all through the air. Vash couldn't help but feel angry with the person for killing them. It was needless slaughter. He clenched his fists at his sides.  
  
"Why would someone do such a thing? Haven't they heard of Thou shall not kill?" Vash said aloud to himself as a gust of wind blew by him. He looked behind him at the giant mansion and to the one window that Mr.Dwell was in. He saw the curtain was closed but knew that the man was pacing back and forth in front the window. At least 30 men were in the mansion guarding Mr. Dwell. As Vash turned to his attention back to his duty he heard a sweet sound play. It sounded like a guitar. The tune was sad and eerie. Vash's eyes widen in recognition at the sound, the assassin was here.  
  
"The assassin is here!" Vash heard Mr.Dwell yell along with the sound of feet shuffling everywhere.  
  
"Get ready men!" Vash heard someone shout from inside.  
  
Vash still heard the violin play but a soothing voice joined in making it sound melodious. He heard the words clear and couldn't quite pin point the exact spot where it was coming from, he had his gun out as it sang:  
  
When the dark wood fell before me  
  
And all the paths were overgrown  
  
When the priest of pride say there is no other way  
  
I tilled the sorrows of stone.  
  
The voice lingered through the air making it for Vash to find it's source and it sang:  
  
I did not believe because I could not see  
  
Though you came to me in the night  
  
When the dawn seemed forever lost  
  
You showed me your love in the light of the stars  
  
Vash heard several gun shots and screams come from within the house and barged in through the house's front door and ran upstairs. Ten bodies of men were sprawled on the ground in the hall at the top of the stairs. He looked around and saw bullet holes on the walls but saw no blood. He looked over at the bodies on the ground and realized the men were knocked unconscious. He looked to his left and saw the window was open and the curtains swayed as the wind blew in. So that's how the assassin got in. Vash though to himself.  
  
And still Vash heard the voice sing:  
  
Cast your eyes on the Ocean  
  
Cast your soul to the Sea.  
  
When the dark nights seem endless  
  
Please remember me.  
  
More screams and again gunshots he heard come from the upstairs. He ran at full speed to the stairs and up and again he saw ten bodies. Some were on the ground some were leaned against the wall. Bullet holes were on the walls and on the ceiling covering half the hall. Not a drop of blood could be seen. Vash's eyes checked each guy for a pulse and sure enough they were alive. Is this assassin playing with my mind? Vash asked himself and stared at the next staircase and knew just in a couple of seconds that he would hear gunshots and screaming. He listened but he heard no gun go off or any screaming, all he heard was the sweet voice sing:  
  
Then the mountain rose before me  
  
By the deep well of desire  
  
From the fountain of forgiveness  
  
Beyond the ice and the fire.  
  
Vash slowly climbed the stairs and came to the top of the staircase and was shocked to see the last ten men were standing where they were not moving an inch. They had there eyes open wide and their gun at the sides, all their gazes were on the cloaked figure that stood in front of Mr. Dwell. The man just stood there with his mouth open as though he was going to scream but no sound could be heard. Vash saw the large sword at the cape figure's side. The blade was as long as his arm, and its tip gleamed in the moon's light. And still the voice sang.  
  
Cast your eyes on the Ocean  
  
Cast your soul to the Sea.  
  
When the dark nights seem endless.  
  
Please remember me.  
  
As the last words were sung the sword at the cloaked figure's side lifted up and swung across, in one swift movement the man's head fell from its body and landed on the floor with a thump. The body itself fell to its knees and then fell to the ground on its stomach. The cloaked person slowly turned around and kneeled in front of Mr. Dwell's head. It reached out and picked him up from his hair, the cloaked figure withdrew a rucksack from its cloak and thew the head in there and tied it up. Vash stood there in terror watching the mysterious assassin. He saw it get back to its feet and sheath its sword with blood smeared on the blade's edge. Taking a step forward he felt a chill go up his spine.  
  
Cold red violet eyes peered at him through the cloak, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. He blinked once and saw the assassin gone. The men around him started to move from where they were and heading down stairs with haste. They no longer wanted to be anywhere near the house, Vash left with them never looking back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
She stood in front of her employer and threw the rucksack with the head in it on his desk. He looked up from his paper work and smirked. His red eyes sparkled mischievously.  
  
"Good job, now there's just one more person left to exterminate. His name is Vash the Stampede. He's been causing all sorts of chaos and disturbances. Just the other day I heard he destroyed another town. After you kill him take his head and bring it to me. Understand? Now go and don't come back unless you've completed the task." Said her employer.  
  
"No. I will not. I will not kill another person; it is useless and needing less slaughter! No longer will I kill. Find someone else to do your dirty work! I've paid off my debt!" She said through her black cloak, she turned her back on him and left out the door. She was soon followed by two of her employer's hit men. One of them carried a shotgun and the other had an AK 47, she knew both of these men very well and knew that they had a knack for killing. The one with the shotgun was known by the name of Dead Aim. The guy with the AK 47 was called Trigger. Both men were very deadly once they found their prey.  
  
"Well, well, Miss Nightingale. Your time has finally come." Dead Aim said lifting his shotgun.  
  
"Hold on there Dead Aim, I have yet to see the face under that cloak. Haven't you ever wondered what she looks like?" Trigger asked Dead Aim cocking him an eyebrow.  
  
"Now that you've mention it, I am curious as how she looks, sure she has a sweet voice but does her face match her voice?" Dead Aim answered.  
  
"Well, lets take a look see." Trigger said taking a step towards the girl in the cloak.  
  
"To look upon my face would be your end. Take another step closer and the last thing you will see will be my blade." She said icily through the hood of her cloak. Trigger looked at her in disbelief and took another step closer. Through the hood of her cloaked she smirked at his courage. Well, he can't say I didn't give him fair warning. She thought as she swiftly withdrew her sword out from under her cloak. He saw this and fired his gun at her. Blocking the bullet with her sword she quickly dove her blade into his stomach. She whispered good-bye into his ear before he fell to the ground dead clutching his stomach as blood spilled through his hands.  
  
"Do you wish to share his fate, Dead Aim? If so, come and try to look at my face." She said with her sword still drawn as blood dripped from the blade's tip.  
  
"You bitch!" Dead Aim roared as he lifted his shotgun and fired three times. She blocked each bullet with force as she jumped into the air and came down on him with one last swing of her sword Dead Aim was cast into internal darkness. The girl cloaked in black was known by the name of Nightingale. Music could be heard right before you died by her hands.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Vash sat there at one of the tables in the bar of the new town he was in. This was his fifth drink and he could feel himself getting drunk as he waved his hand in front of him and saw it blur. No matter how much he drank he couldn't seem to get those ice reddish violet eyes out of his mind. He ordered another beer as he saw his brother Knives walk into the bar with the same old grim expression on his face. He watched as Knives made his way towards him and pull a chair out of the table in front of him and sat next to Vash.  
  
"I can't see how you can stand to live with these spiders. Those two spiders of yours talk non-stop! The one named Meryl nags at me for being lazy and the other one Millie I think that's her name, well any way, she talks to you even though you don't even acknowledge her." Knives said annoyed.  
  
Vash only smiled. Millie and Meryl were quite a team. One could talk a priest out of his vows and the other could nag the paint off the walls. Vash gave his brother a goofy smile right before he saw a person in a black cloak walk in. His smile faded and his expression turned grim like his brothers. The assassin was here. He had recently got information about the assassin. He found out the assassin was a girl who went by the name of Nightingale. No one has ever seen her face or either hasn't live long enough to tell about it. He just sat there and stared at the mysterious girl not paying any attention to his brother.  
  
"Hey, Vash? What are you staring at? Yuhoo, Vash?" Knives said waving his hand in front of Vash trying to get his attention. He followed Vash's gaze and found him staring at some person in a black cloak sitting at a table across from them.  
  
Vash snapped his attention back to his brother who was giving him a weird look. Vash heaved a sigh and was getting up to leave when a very huge man came in.  
  
"Nightingale! You will die for Killing Trigger's and Dead Aim's death!" The man roared as he charged at the cloaked girl. She barely dodged his attack and was running around the bar dodging his punches, Kicks, and grabs. Vash and Knives had to dodge the chairs and tables that were flying all over the place. Vash came face to face with a table and got knocked unconscious. Knives stared at his knocked out brother who had a huge red mark on his face from the table. Knives laughed at Vash and wasn't paying any attention to the chair heading straight for him and soon was on the ground clutching his face that ached with pain.  
  
"Let me guess, you want revenge right? Well, have at me! It's not like I have anything to live for." The girl said through the hood of her cloak as it fell back when the guy lifted her up into the air by her neck. Light blue hair tumbled down her shoulder. Her face was fair. Her eyes seemed to laugh as the man lifted her up higher.  
  
Knives looked through his hands that clutched his face and saw a girl with most intriguing eyes he had ever seen. They were violet but yet red. Knives saw the huge man that had held her by the neck and was filled with anger. He grabbed Vash's gun and aimed at the man's head and fired. He fell to the ground dead, unmoving.  
  
Vash stirred and saw his brother holding his gun gripping it tight. He looked where his brother's aim was and saw a man with a large man on the ground with a bullet hole on the back of his head. The girl named Nightingale girl stood there in front of the body. Vash gaped in surprise when he saw her face. No wonder she wore the hood over face, she was beautiful. No man his right mind wouldn't want to touch her. She looked at Vash and smirked then to Knives and grinned before she fell to the ground.  
  
Knives dropped the gun and ran to her. Vash saw this and managed a smile on his face that throbbed with pain. He climbed to his feet and made his way towards his brother and the girl. His brother had lifted the girl into his arms and was heading for the door. Vash followed behind as they made their way home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nightingale Dream ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm scared, Mallory. " A little girl that looked to be five wearing a tore red dress with red violet eyes and light blue hair whined as she clutched her big sister's shirt.  
  
"Shhh, Amaru. I'm scared too but I need you to be quiet." The girl that seemed twelve with green eyes and golden brown hair said holding her sister closer as men wearing bandannas over their mouths walked over Amara and Mallory parents dead bodies. The two girls hid inside a closet next to the kitchen door. Amaru couldn't quite understand what was happening and snuggled closer to her big sister as tears flowed down her cheeks. She muffled her sobs with her sister's shirt and looked up to see how her big sister was taking this and saw her staring down at her. She managed a weak smile before she heard footsteps come shuffling by the door.  
  
"Damn! Were are those two brats at!?" Amara heard one of the men shout.  
  
"Calm down, we were only here to find that one little runt. The boss said she had light blue hair and that's it." Another man said as Amaru strained her ears to hear more. She looked back up to her sister and saw her eyes wide.  
  
"Lets just leave and tell him we couldn't her." The first man said.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Amaru heard the other guy reply.  
  
Amaru though they had left and sneezed. Feet came shuffling back into the kitchen and stopped right in front of the closet Amaru and her sister were in. Mallory shoved Amaru behind her as the door swung open and the two men stood in front of the entrance of the door. Amaru held onto the back of Mallory's shirt.  
  
"Look at what we have here." The first man said with amusement.  
  
"We've been looking for you two. Now be good little girls and come with us." The second man said extending his hand out. Amaru peeked from behind her sister and looked at the two men with curious eyes. Mallory shoved the little girl back behind her.  
  
"Leave us alone!" Mallory threatened the men slapping the one guy's hand away as she grabbed Aramu's little hand and made a run for it around the two men. Mallory managed to run out the door with Amaru trotting behind her with her little feet. A gunshot was heard as Mallory fell forward into the ground. Amaru fell to her knees and turned around to see a man holding a gun up. Amaru looked at her sister and screamed, she crawled over to her sister and laid her sister's head on her lap. The two man were making their way towards her when the man that had fired the gun began to scream in pain. His hand with the gun in it slowly lifted up to his head and before he could scream again the trigger was pulled. The man next to him saw this and started to panic as his friend fell to the ground with a bullet hole on the side of his head.  
  
"What the he-." He didn't finish. Without a second thought his neck snapped and his body collapse to the ground.  
  
"Big sister, I did it." Amaru said pushing the lock of hair from her sister's face. Mallory only stared at her sister as a smile formed on her face.  
  
"I can see that." Mallory said as she coughed and blood slipped down from her mouth. Blood soaked the ground where here sister laid. The bullet had gone through Mallory's back and came out through her stomach. Mallory's body glowed bright.  
  
"Big sister, why your body glow?" Amaru asked as she held her sister closer growing worried.  
  
"Amaru I have a gift for you, its very special." Mallory said with her left hand holding onto her sister's right hand. A tear slipped down the side of Mallory's cheek.  
  
"What kind of gif?" Amaru asked as she held tight to her sister's left hand.  
  
"Something that will be very useful to you. It's part of me that I was eventually was going to give to you when you were older," Mallory coughed and paused for a second then continued. "As long as you keep my gift I will always be with you."  
  
"Big sister please open you eyes." Amaru whined as tear poured down her cheeks. Mallory had slowly closed her eyes and her breathing came in short huffs.  
  
"Amaru, sing to me." Mallory whispered.  
  
"Okay. But you have to stay awake." Amaru said through tears as he sisters body glowed even brighter. So Amaru sang:  
  
When the dark wood fell before me  
  
And all the paths were overgrown  
  
When the priest of pride say there is no other way  
  
I tilled the sorrows of stone.  
  
I did not believe because I could not see  
  
Though you came to me in the night  
  
When the dawn seemed forever lost  
  
You showed me your love in the light of the stars  
  
Cast your eyes on the Ocean  
  
Cast your soul to the Sea.  
  
When the dark nights seem endless  
  
Please remember me.  
  
Then the mountain rose before me  
  
By the deep well of desire  
  
From the fountain of forgiveness  
  
Beyond the ice and the fire.  
  
Cast your eyes on the Ocean  
  
Cast your soul to the Sea.  
  
When the dark nights seem endless.  
  
Please remember me.  
  
Mallory smiled sister's sweet voice. Everyone should listen to music before they die, Amaru. So when they go to heaven, they will have something to remember. Amaru could still hear Mallory's voice say that over and over. Amaru watched as her big sister's body evaporated into small spheres of light. When all the light had vanished a sword was left in Amaru's lap where her sister use to be. She looked at the sword and grabbed it by the large handle and held it close to her body and began to cry.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ End of Dream! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	2. Twinge Of Pain

Twinge of Pain

Amaru abruptly snapped her eyes open and saw two women looming over her with concerned looks on their face. Amaru sat up as the two women moved out of the way and looked around.

"Where am I?" Amaru asked staring at the tall women with golden brown hair and blue eyes.

"Your home." She answered with a smile.

"That's not what she means. Your at our house not to far from town." The one with short dark blue hair and gray blue eyes said. She was shorter than the other woman was. Amaru sat up in the bed she realized she was in and looked at both of them.

"Who are you two?" Amaru asked switching her gaze left to right.

"Oh, I'm Meryl and this is Millie." The woman with dark blue hair said pointing to her and the tall women with blue eyes next to her. Nightingale only nodded her head. 

"What's your name? Knives brought you in here last night but didn't tell us your name." The one named Millie said. Nightingale couldn't decide whether to tell them her real name or the name people call her. She stared at both of them for a couple of seconds before answering.

"A-Amaru." She said. She didn't know why she just told them her real name maybe it was because that girl Millie reminded her of her sister. That had to be it.

"What a beautiful name." Millie said as Meryl nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you." Amaru said moving off the bed and getting to her feet. 

"You must be hungry, I'll breakfast. I'll go and make you a plate of bacon an eggs, do you want toast?" Meryl asked walking out of the room through the door.

"Yes, thank you." Amaru said. Millie walked out as well leaving Amaru by herself.

Amaru looked around the room and saw her black cloak, Guitar case, and her sword in a corner. All she was wearing under her black cloak was tight black pants with black boots. Her dark blue turtleneck shirt was sleeveless. She walked over to the door and stopped at the center of the door. She saw a couch with three men sitting on it talking; a chair was across from it with Millie sitting on it talking with them as well. Two of the men she recognized from the bar. She figured this room was the living room and spotted another door to her left. It was op and she could see Meryl washing a plate and setting it on a table. Amaru looked at the four people to make sure they hadn't seen her and started to make her way towards the kitchen very quietly as to not catch their attention. She was almost there when she heard someone call her name.

"Hey, Amaru!" She recognized the voice to be Millie. She didn't turn around but stood there frozen. She felt somewhat defeated.

"Yes, Millie?" Amaru asked with her back turned.

"Where are you going?" She heard Millie ask.

"Oh, umm… I was going to ask Meryl something." Amaru answered feeling a little nervous, as she was now the center of attention.

"Oh okay." Millie replied. Amaru sighed with relieve. She was so glad she didn't want her to introduce herself to the three men.

"Oh, wait Amaru, I haven't introduced you to Vash, Knives, and Mr. Priest." Amaru heard Millie say. _Spoke too soon._ Amaru thought.

"Ohh… you just did. See ya." Amaru said and ran into the kitchen where she saw Meryl putting scrambled eggs on six plates. Meryl must have heard her coming because she looked up and smile as Amaru came in. 

"I see you've met the others." Meryl said.

"Not really." Amaru said with a sigh.

"Oh, well breakfast is ready." She said and handed Amaru a plate of bacon and eggs and a paper towel with toast. Amaru quickly ate the toast and gobbled down the eggs and bacon. She handed the plate back to Meryl who stared in surprise.

"Thanks that was delicious. I thank you for your hospitality." Amaru said smiling for the first time.

"Your welcome. You can stay as long as you like, if you want." Meryl said.

"Really? Thank you so much." Amaru said with tears welling up in her eyes. She ran back to the room passing the living room where she saw Millie talking to the three guys about something. She quickly walked into the room and lifted up her guitar she wrapped the guitar strap around her shoulder. As she ran out the door she banged her head against someone's chest. Amaru looked up and saw it was the man that shot the huge man named Geo. She didn't get a good look at him when she passed out in the bar, but from how close she was near him she could. He had light blonde hair with blue eyes and short spiky hair he and was a foot taller than she was. Something about him she didn't like but she couldn't quite figure it out what it was some.

"Oh, sorry." Amaru apologized walking around him with a slight blush on her face. She walked into the living room to see what Millie was doing and saw her still talking. Millie stopped talking when she saw Amaru with a guitar over shoulder.

"Oh, Amaru. You know how to play a guitar?" Millie asked looking at Amaru than the guitar.

"Yes." Amaru answered.

"Wow, do you think you could play for us?" Millie asked with her eyes shimmered with joy like a child's.

"Umm…sure." Amaru replied and sat down on the chair that Millie was sitting at before. As she sat down she pulled the guitar out in front of her. She thought for a second what song she could sing for them that wasn't sad. She began to play her guitar and sang.

__

I was lost

And you were found

You seemed to stand on solid ground

I was weak

And you were strong

And me and my guitar,

We strummed along, oh

Sweet misery you cause me

That's what you called me

Sweet misery you cause me

I was blind

But oh, how you could see

You saw the beauty in everything

Everything and me

I would cry

And you would smile

You'd stay with me a little while

Sweet misery you cause me

That's what you called me

Sweet misery you cause me

And in my heart I see, oh

What you're doing to me

And in my heart I see, oh

Just how you wanted it to be

Sweet misery

Oh, whoa 

Sweet misery you cause me

That's what you called me

Sweet misery you cause me

And in my heart I see, oh

What you're doing to me

And in my heart I see, oh

Just how you wanted it to be

Sweet misery

I was weak

And you were strong

And me and my guitar,

We strummed along

Amaru said the last words with an echoed tone of voice. She heard claps and saw the three men clap and heard another clap from behind her to see Meryl. She looked over to Millie and saw her eyes filled with tears. Amaru was taken back by the woman's change in emotion.

"Amaru, that was so beautiful and sad." Millie said.

"Uha." A man said from on the couch with tears streaming down his cheeks. He had turquoise eyes and blonde hair that was darker than the man she bumped into did.

"I'm sorry. I should stop singing such songs." Amaru said with an apology.

"Its okay. I really liked it." Millie sniffed wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Oh, You guys, breakfast is ready." As soon as Meryl said that Millie and the three men ran to the kitchen faster than a blink of an eye. Amaru and were the only ones left in the living room. Meryl blinked a couple of times in surprise.

"I think they set a new record." Amaru said with a grin.

"I think you're right." Meryl replied with a nervous laugh.

"So tell me, who's who?" Amaru asked.

"Well, Vash is the man in the red coat, Knives is the one with the black jacket on and Mr. Wolfwood is the one with the dark blue suit on." Meryl said pointing to each guy at the table.

"Oh, okay." Amaru said nodding her head.

"Amaru, could you do me a favor?" Meryl asked with a smile.

"Of coarse." She answered.

"Could you go to town and pick up these things on the list. Here's the money." Meryl said handing her a sheet of paper and hundred and fifty double dollars. Amaru nodded her head and went to the room to tie her sheathed sword around her waist. She came back out of the room wearing her black coat and her sword at her side. The cloak covered the sword so you could barely see it. Her hood was down and she had her light blue hair braided, which fell to her waist. She no longer cared who saw her face in fact she wouldn't even mind.

"I'll be back in probably twenty minutes." Amaru said and ran out the front door.

She looked around the huge town for a grocery store that Meryl describe on the sheet of paper. People were running from here to there, some kids played a game of tag while others watched with cheerful faces. She spotted a store to her right that Meryl had described and walked over to it. Walking inside she saw an elderly man sitting on a chair reading a newspaper behind the counter. She looked around the store and grabbed a little casket and walked over to the shelves with food lined on each side. Amaru read the list and started searching for the items.

The first thing that was on the list was pudding. Amaru searched the shelves and found pudding. Reading the list she grabbed twenty things of pudding and placed it in the basket. The second thing on the list was three boxes of donuts. She spotted the boxes of donuts on the shelf behind her. Grabbing the two boxes she placed them in the basket. Third on the list was six bottles of beer. She walked all the way down to the end of the shelf and grabbed six of the bottles of beer and scanned the list for the last item, which read bottles of water. She searched the shelves and found ten bottles. She found them in the shelf over next her. When she checked her basket to make sure she had everything she needed and went over to the counter and set the basket on top of the counter and rang the little bell to gain the elderly man's attention. He dropped his newspaper with a bored expression and checked the items over and turned to a cash register and ranged the items price up and turned back to Amaru.

"That will be ninety five double dollars." He said. Amaru handed him the money. He placed the items in a brown paper bag. Amaru thanked the man and walked out of the store carrying the brown bag in her arms. She walked down the road of the town heading back to Meryl's home when she felt like someone watching her. She whirled around and saw no one and continued to walk. She reached the house just as Knives walked out. She avoided his gaze and continued to walk to the front door. She opened the front door and walked in.

Meryl was typing on the some sort of typewriter in the kitchen on the table and saw Vash passed out on the couch. Wolf wood sitting in the chair reading a bible with Millie reading it with him. Amaru placed the brown bag next to Meryl on the table and left to go to the room and take a nap. She placed her guitar in the corner of the room along with her sword and black cloak. She walked over to the bed and passed out.

__ __ __


End file.
